Let’s start with an important fact; there are over 270 Million Social Media users in the United States, and this number is expected to rise explosively in the next five years. Similarly, an average American spends almost four and a half hours every day staring down at their smartphone and several studies have shown that social media eats up most of that time.

Modern social media sites have radically altered our social space. People rely on social media sites to make friends, share their lives, find employment opportunities, get information about current events, for making online purchases, and much more.  

In this day and age, not being on social media leads to isolation, this holds for individuals and businesses alike. Small businesses which do not have the capital to invest in expensive traditional advertisements or to even launch their web platforms need to aggressively pay attention to their social media presence to get the word out.

SMEs that neglect social media end up being neglected by the world. But you really can’t hope to execute an efficient social media strategy if you do not have access to a reliable and fast-paced internet connection.

Luckily, established services like Cox Internet are beaming extremely high-speed broadband connectivity to American homes, it’s about time you took advantage of the opportunity.

Despite the immense importance of social media being on these platforms is no child’s play. The American society is becoming increasingly polarized and touchy and it is almost impossible to please everyone. People get offended fairly easily and if your handle makes an inadvertent mistake, your business is in for a huge amount of financial pain.

For this reason, an effective social media strategist is always prepared for this distant possibility. And your business must always have a contingency in place for times of crisis. But if you do not have a social media crisis strategy yet, do not worry, this write-up will give a detailed breakdown of some essential steps you can take to prevent mistakes from turning into a tragedy.

So, here we go.

DON’T TRY TO WAIT IT OUT

Shutting down is the most common mistake businesses make when they hit a social media storm. And even though shutting down might seem like an intuitive response, remember that just because you have stopped using Social Media does not mean that Social Media has stopped talking about you.

And if you think that you can just wait for the hate storm out until people forget about it, you are wrong. Sure, the intensity might cool a little but in the age of the internet, nothing is completely forgotten.

So, do not be like the bird who closes its eyes upon spotting a predator. Be proactive and try to take control of the narrative early on. Have a crisis communication plan in place and start executing it as soon as you can.

Remember, the quicker you are, the more damage you’ll be able to prevent.

KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR SENSITIVE ISSUES

You might have heard the maxim, ‘The best defense is offense’ Well when it comes to social media, the inverse is true. The best way to handle a social media crisis is to not let it happen in the first place. So, take out the time to be aware of issues that are close to your customers’ hearts and avoid talking about controversial things from your business handle.

And do not just be aware of yourself, ensure that your social media team is also up to date. You can always try holding weekly meetings on how to properly manage your brand’s personality on social media.

TALK TO EVERY HATER

Blocking people who are making negative remarks or deleting negative comments in bulk is never a good strategy. Because once an opposition builds on social media it is impossible to fight back against it, so do not even try.

Make an effort to respond to people who are making reasonable remarks, reply to their comments, send them messages if you have to, and try to win as many hearts as possible.

If you block people out you’ll certainly make enemies out of them, but if you engage with them you might be able to gain back their loyalty.

PAUSE ALL MARKETING

This one is fairly obvious, in times of crisis cancel all routine marketing posts because they are only going to make things worse by triggering people more. Show your audiences that you are taking the issue as seriously as they are, and let them know that you are concerned and are taking the necessary mitigating steps.

If you pretend to go about your business as usual, people will take that as a sign of apathy.

WRAP UP

Being on social media is essential for any small business trying to create brand awareness. But maintaining a positive social media presence is easier said than done, especially in polarized times like these.

So, it always pays to have a contingency plan in place just in case things take a turn for the worse. If you follow some of the advice mentioned in this write-up we assure you that you will be able to dig your business out of the social media crisis, with nothing but minor bruises.